Main menu

Post navigation

About Jen

Red Balloon is a grassroots organization founded by Jennifer Allison Tran in 2006. With the support of local communities, Red Balloon has transformed into an anticipated annual benefit concert, showcasing talent across California. Inspired by the French film where a simple red balloon changes a little boy's life, Red Balloon's strives to find simple and ordinary ways to make a difference. Sometimes, it only takes one red balloon to change a child's life. But imagine what a thousand red balloons can do.

It has been EIGHT beautiful years since I created Project Red Balloon and it is with an incredibly heavy heart that I step down as executive director in June 2014 to focus on other ambitions (i.e. residency!). I’ve worked and met with so many great people, musicians and patients and would not trade my experiences for anything.

After 8 years, I hoped I convinced you that ordinary people really can do extraordinary things.

With the recent devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, we will be cancelling our Red Balloon fundraiser until further notice. We deeply are saddened by this natural disaster and would rather see the donations going to help those displaced from the disaster. All donations sent via Causevox and through Red Balloon directly will be refunded. If you do not hear from us about your donation by 11/16/13, please let us know so we can refund your donation.

As always, thank you for always supporting Red Balloon and your continued generosity and support.

Still want to be apart of the magic? Consider donating to Red Balloon Day. Your donations will go towards UC Davis Children’s Hospital to support their ongoing music therapy program. You will also be helping Music is Medicine, a non-profit organization that brings together musicians and seriously-ill children together to raise awareness for terminally ill pediatric diseases.

Thank you to all who have written to us about their service projects for Red Balloon Day. We received emails from our home in the Bay Area and all the way from Costa Rica!!

Slow your roll…what’s Red Balloon Day?

November 16, 2013 is Red Balloon Day, a full 24 hours dedicated to changing lives through music and we want YOU to be a part of the adventure. Whether you want to host your own benefit concert or teach a child how to play piano or sing to senior citizens, we want to help you make this into a reality. We want to connect with you and help you create your own Red Balloon story and most importantly, we want you to share it with the world.

So in summary:

1. You get to make a difference through music

2. You get to change a life

3. We get to brag all about you

Convinced? Let us know by emailing us at redballoon.staff@gmail.com. We are happy to offer any guidance and answer any questions you may have about our special day.

For more information and/or an application to be apart of Red Balloon Day, please email our staff at redballoon.staff@gmail.com or please feel free to email me directly at jenaltran@gmail.com. I am so excited to have you on our team this year! Let’s make this the most memorable Red Balloon to date!

All my Love & Red Balloons,

Jennifer Allison Tran,
Executive Director

P.S. And if you’re in the Bay Area, ask us what we’re up to on Nov 16, 2013. Here’s a hint: it involves singing to little humans.

Project Red Balloon is proud to announce its second annual RED BALLOON DAY on November 16, 2013; 24 hours where people like you can change your local community with music. Last year, we had an amazing turnout with people going to hospitals, senior centers and elementary schools to share their love for music with others. It was so heartwarming to read and watch your stories.

This year, we want to keep singing to the beat of our hearts. If you or your friends or your high school club are interested in being apart of Red Balloon Day, please email us at redballoon(dot)staff(at)gmail.com. We can’t wait to hear what amazing things you will all do in the fall!

Need some inspiration? Meet our friends who’ve touched many senior residents’ lives with music. Zoe Lee and her talented friends from San Jose, CA reached out to us about their Red Balloon adventures last year. These musicians wanted to bring some cheer into our geriatric population so they went to senior resident homes to share their love of music.

Happy June!! On behalf of my golden birthday (I’m turning 25!!!), I wanted an opportunity to do something great. I wanted to complete 25 acts of kindness in the days leading up to my birthday to give back to the community as much as I have received.

To start, let’s fundraise for music therapy! Please view and share with all your friends and networks 🙂 From June 1-25, sponsors will donate a penny per view to Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach to ensure that every future pediatric patient will have the opportunity to have music as part of their healing process.

Let us know what random acts of kindness you’re seen or completed from June 1-25th. Feel free to email us or leave a comment below to let us know what you’ve been up to so we can also follow along in your kindness journey!